Buffy: Gingerbread (3.11)

There are a lot of great ideas here, most notably the concept of a demon that whips up paranoia and persecution in small, suburban communities. It's an idea that is still resonant today, and was oddly prescient at the time of airing, with Columbine just around the corner and nearly every element of pop culture criticized and analyzed in an attempt to blame the entertainment industry for making two disturbed young men embark on a murder spree. Back on topic, Gingerbread doesn't entirely fulfil its ambition, with a lot of padding and a tone that never entirely sits well.

While its likely that the Hansel and Gretel kids created mass hysteria through demonic means, the sight of Joyce Summers wanting to burn her daughter at the stake is a little tough to take, while the rest of the MOO angle is so extreme and elaborate that it comes off slightly awkward. At what point does Joyce end and irrational-Joyce begin? There's obviously a part of her that is uneasy about the presence of monsters and vampires in her life, but it got taken too far here. I'm also not sure I enjoyed seeing Willow's mom for the first and only time. She's a complete hag, all about annoying psychological hoodoo and always ignoring her daughter. Her presence just lends an other-worldly feel to this story that further adds to the awkwardness of the plot.

What saves the episode is the depiction of the gradual re-building of the Scoobies, with Oz and Xander bonding once again, and Cordelia saving the day (sort of). Cordelia is great here, especially her interaction with Giles ('wake up in a coma') and that great scene with the fire hose. There's also unsurprisingly a heap of wonderful dialogue all over the place, Jane Espenson once again displaying her knack for genius one-liners. And, finally, we have the return of Amy, who remains a rat at the end of the episode. Great comic idea, there.

So while I didn't particularly enjoy the MOO exploits, there's a lot of humor to be appreciated here. And at least the concept is something to be admired. Eh. Filler episode in general. C+

Credits
Guest stars Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers); Elizabeth Anne Allen (Amy Madison); Harry Groener (Mayor Richard Wilkins III); Jordan Baker (Sheila Rosenberg); Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder)
Teleplay Jane Espenson Story Thania St. John, Jane Espenson Director James Whitmore Jr.